Author: Andrew Rogers

Jaguar Land Rover has begun a phased restart of its UK factories after a major cyber-attack shut operations for over a month. The hack on 31 August forced closures across global sites, causing a 17% drop in quarterly sales and major supply chain disruption. Production is resuming at Wolverhampton’s engine plant and Hams Hall’s battery centre, followed by Solihull, Castle Bromwich, and Halewood. JLR’s Nitra factory in Slovakia will reopen soon, with Range Rover and Range Rover Sport lines restarting this week. Chief executive Adrian Mardell called it “an important moment,” adding, “Our recovery is firmly under way.” To support…

Three scientists have won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine for explaining how the immune system avoids attacking the body. Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi were recognized “for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance.” The Nobel Assembly in Stockholm announced the award, worth 11 million Swedish kronor. “We reached only Sakaguchi,” said Prof Thomas Perlmann. Their work uncovered how special immune cells, known as regulatory T-cells, prevent autoimmune diseases. “These cells are the brakes of the immune system,” said Prof Adrian Liston of the University of Cambridge. Sakaguchi first discovered that certain T-cells carrying a protein called…

George Russell dominated the Singapore Grand Prix from start to finish. “Perfect race, perfect car,” he said. He led every lap for Mercedes, claiming his second win of the season. The victory strengthens his hand in contract talks. Behind him, McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri reignited their rivalry. Norris forced past Piastri at the start. “Are we cool with Lando just barging me out of the way?” Piastri asked his team angrily. The team replied they would review the incident later. “That’s not fair,” Piastri snapped. “He hit me to avoid Verstappen!” McLaren secured the constructors’ title but face…

George Russell produced a stunning lap to secure pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix, outpacing Max Verstappen by nearly two-tenths of a second at the Marina Bay street circuit. The Mercedes driver, still recovering from illness, underlined his value to the team as talks continue over extending his contract. Verstappen, however, was left frustrated, claiming his final attempt was ruined when he lost downforce while following Lando Norris’s McLaren, which was on an in-lap. The Dutchman gestured angrily on track and later warned: “That is what happens when there is a car in front of you … that is…

Berlin’s thriving goshawk population could soon inspire a bold conservation move in Britain. Dr Paul O’Donoghue of Rewilding UK wants to release 15 goshawks each into Chester and London, taking cues from the German capital where the raptors have adapted to urban life and become a fixture in city parks. The apex predators, once nearly wiped out in the UK by hunting, remain under pressure in rural areas but are flourishing in European cities like Berlin, Amsterdam, and Prague. In Berlin’s Viktoriapark, goshawks nest above war memorials, hunt pigeons on the streets, and coexist with joggers, schoolchildren, and heavy traffic.…

Ryanair has warned that next week’s French air traffic control (ATC) strikes could force the airline to cancel up to 600 flights per day, affecting as many as 100,000 passengers. The country’s biggest ATC union, SNCTA, has announced industrial action from 7–10 October, which is expected to disrupt routes across western Europe, particularly those flying over France from the UK to Spain, Italy and Greece. Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s chief executive, urged the EU to protect overflights from cancellations. “They have the right to strike, but if flights are to be cancelled, they should be flights arriving to and from France.…

Autism should not be seen as a single condition with a single cause, according to new research that found striking differences between people diagnosed in early childhood and those diagnosed later in life. An international study drawing on genetic data from more than 45,000 autistic individuals in Europe and the US found that early-diagnosed autism, typically before the age of six, was linked to distinct genetic profiles compared with those diagnosed after the age of 10. Children diagnosed earlier were more likely to show behavioural and social communication difficulties from a young age, which then remained relatively stable. By contrast,…

Scientists have successfully created human eggs from skin cells, a development that could one day transform fertility treatment for women with age-related infertility, cancer survivors, and even same-sex male couples. The early-stage work, led by Prof Shoukhrat Mitalipov at Oregon Health and Science University, used a method similar to the one that produced Dolly the sheep in the 1990s. Researchers removed nuclei from skin cells and placed them into donor eggs stripped of their own nuclei. The challenge was ensuring the correct number of chromosomes. By fertilising the eggs and activating them with a compound called roscovitine, the team encouraged…

New Zealand’s fastest bird, the kārearea falcon, has soared to victory in the country’s annual Bird of the Year competition, winning the title for the second time in a contest free of the usual scandals and pranks. The kārearea, capable of reaching speeds of up to 200km/h when hunting, is New Zealand’s only falcon and its last remaining endemic raptor. Small and tawny with striking talons and dark eyes, the falcon is a powerful aerial predator that dives from high vantage points to snatch prey, often larger than itself. With only an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 birds left in the…

Stroll down a supermarket aisle in 2025 and you’ll likely spot pastel-coloured cans claiming to deliver “calm” or “focus”. These are functional drinks – beverages infused with plant extracts, vitamins, or compounds like ashwagandha, lion’s mane mushroom, L-theanine and magnesium – marketed as quick fixes for wellbeing. The global functional drinks market is booming, forecast to reach €212bn by 2030, and fuelled by shifting habits: almost half of young Britons now opt for low- or non-alcoholic alternatives. Clever branding and social media hype have only accelerated the craze. “There is promising evidence for some of these ingredients, though results vary…